In Roseville, Minnesota, a new wave of enthusiasm for women’s flag football is taking shape. Earlier this year, flyers promoting the formation of a club team appeared at Augustana University, igniting interest among students of all backgrounds. Kiley Coyne, who works as an assistant director in the music department and plays on a women’s tackle football team in her free time, stepped up to coach the new team at the South Dakota university, which has about 2,000 undergraduates.
Coyne shared her initial goal: “I just need 10 players. If we can set up an offense and defense, we’re good to go.” To her delight, interest has soared, and now 23 students are eager to join the team.
The surge in participation aligns with the exciting news that flag football will be included in the Summer Olympics starting in Los Angeles in 2028. This inclusion, along with strong advocacy from the NFL, has significantly boosted participation rates among girls nationwide. According to Stephanie Kwok, who is involved with flag football at the league level, the sport’s accessibility is one of its greatest strengths: “It provides more opportunities for girls to engage in sports.”
Colleges are seeing this movement as well. Augustana is one of seven NCAA institutions launching a club team this spring, with support from the Minnesota Vikings. These partnerships have set up a league where teams can compete together, with matches scheduled over several weekends.
For students like Brooklyn Sturm, a freshman who previously excelled in volleyball and basketball, joining the team was a surprising turn of events. “Initially, I thought my focus should be on academics, but I realized I missed being active in sports,” she said. Sturm’s team recently traveled to Northwestern University for their inaugural games. Reflecting on her experience, she noted that if such an opportunity had existed in high school, she would have gladly participated.
According to recent statistics, 14 states now recognize girls’ flag football as a sanctioned sport, with nearly 43,000 players engaged in the 2023-24 school year alone. The number of girls aged 6 to 17 involved in the sport in some capacity skyrockets to about half a million. In Minnesota, the Vikings’ commitment has been essential for expanding this movement, launching a pilot program last year that has now grown to include 51 high schools.
More than 100 colleges and universities across various athletic associations are now beginning to offer women’s flag football either as a varsity or club sport. The NAIA led the way in establishing official competition in 2021, and the NCAA has recently recommended classifying women’s flag football as an emerging sport.
An exciting trend has emerged in Minnesota: many participants are women who have never played organized sports before. Melissa Lee, an associate athletic director at Augsburg University, explained her motivation to coach the team by focusing on inclusion: “This is for those who have never worn a uniform or experienced the camaraderie of being on a team.”
At the first team gathering, some newcomers admitted their experience was mainly limited to informal games, leading Lee to enthusiastically welcome them onto the team. The differences in rules between flag and traditional football present a learning curve for both players and coaches, but the excitement of participation far outweighs those challenges.
Looking ahead, Coyne hopes to evolve the league to a 7-on-7 format next season to create more opportunities for players and potentially expand the league size. The goal is to eventually establish a sustainable structure that could grant varsity status to the teams involved.
As these students engage in a sport that fosters teamwork and sportsmanship, many, like Sturm, are rediscovering their passion for athletics. “My family was surprised when I initially decided not to play a college sport,” she shared. “Now that I’m back in the game, they see me truly thriving. This is who I am.”
